I can't stand that dress on Liza either. She's just a child and the illusion fabric is creepy. Highly inappropriate. I hope the ISU come up with a rule about illusion fabric-especially on child skaters! Liza's dress is grotesque and I don't know how her mother or her handlers could think that dress is okay for a 14 year old.She can look polished and mature without that vulgar, trashy-looking get-up.

Elizaveta's SP dress is also inappropriate with that illusion plunging neckline. I think both dresses are disgusting.

There's no call to resort to insulting someone or calling them names when you don't agree. If you think a person is a prude because they don't believe children should dress showing off most of their skin (even if it IS an illusion on the skater) with plunging necklines to their navel and backside then I don't know what else to say except I think it's very sad.

I agree that both costumes are too revealing for such a young girl. Frankly, I'm glad someone brought it up. I'd like to see her skate to something more age appropriate. It doesn't need to be a Disney song either.

Not a huge fan of Kostner's skating but I respect what she's been able to do for herself in the sport. However, this is the ugliest costume I have ever seen. Yes, she has a very nice figure and yes she is often fashion-forward but this was just plan ugly. It's a shame too since she has had some nice costumes in the past (I'm typically hot/cold with her costume choices).

I'm not a huge fan of Alena, but her LP is probably her best one to date. She's much more controlled throughout most of it which makes her less of an eyesore to watch. I'm glad to see she's holding her ground even with the younger Russian girls moving up through the ranks.

Alena reminded me of a young Irena Sluteskya. Very athletic and powerful but lacking a the artistry.

Even Tuktamisheva was off her game- seemed stiff, nervous, and lacking spark. Kostner was her usual bleh self. And Bad Alyssa seems to have found her way back to the surface. Complete disaster for Czisny- but if there is a positive out of it, may take off a bit of the pressure she'll be dealing with at Nationals.

While Czisny did not skate well, in a way, it might be good that it was due to an injury rather than nerves -though I'm willing to contend that some small nerves may have factored in given that her body was not 100%. Either way, I don't think we can put this skate in the same catagory with her "old Alyssa" skates where she totally melts down due entirely to nerves. JMHO.

Either way, I don't think we can put this skate in the same catagory with her "old Alyssa" skates where she totally melts down due entirely to nerves. JMHO.

The only way it doesn't get categorized as "old Alissa" is if she comes back strong at nationals. Alissa is still as high and low as she's ever been, only this season there are fewer highs. I can't help but doubt whether she will be able to defend her title--and seeing as how now US champ since Kwan has done that, I'm not so sure Alissa will. She'll be coming off of a terrible showing at the GPF, an injury and she'll be coming in with the pressure of being the defending champ. She crumbled like a cookie in 2010...I don't know if her improved mental focus is enough to bypass that much pressure this time. It'd be great if she managed to do it but this year I'm not seeing the same strength and confidence I saw from her last year. I still expect her to fall or stumble every time she goes up for a jump...

Curse of the defending champ (in ladies) has been in place since 2007. Assuming the curse remains in place it is highly unlikely Czisny will take the title (but maybe she could hang onto 2nd and still make the world team). But in that case I see Nagasu much more likely to be the winner over her than Wagner. Somehow I think Czisny would have to completely tank to get left off the team...if she's just ok the judges might find a way to keep her at least 2nd, particularly if she does well in the SP and Wagner messes up the SP again.

Maybe it is just me, but having attended the competition, I found the ladies event to be the one in which there seemed the LEAST bias from the audience. I have attended events in Canada many times, and the crowds are enthusiastic. As usual, Skate Canada did a wonderful job of planting flag waving walls of wonder in the audience opposite the judges, and the crowds did a terrific job right on cue, especially in dance.

What I was frankly somewhat disappointed and disheartened by was how tamped down the response seemed to be for some truly wonderful performances for direct challengers of Canadian skaters. It was at its worst during the dance event with the crowd almost dismissive of the Russians (who granted did not skateir best, but still), the Shibutanis, and Davis/White, where there was respect but not much enthusiasm. When the Canadian teams skated, it was like a roof raising explosion, and the sheer contrast was unseemly. Canadians will think I'm a basher, but having seen competitions in person now in Canada several times, and in Europe and the US as well, I'm making my comment from some base of experience and many years, but thought it was particularly notable at this event. Worlds in Ottawa and Vancouver, both of which I attended, there was more balance, with enthusiasm for excellence. I think the smaller and concentrated crowds at this event may have contributed to this, combined with Worlds audiences being larger and more diverse, hence diluting some of what I am describing.

It was thus the ladies event which felt the most appreciative to me as far as the audience was concerned. And this I found ironic, because it was also in ways, the event which most underwhelmed me from a skating perspective. The junior ladies including Lipnitskaia simply stole the show from the seniors. That was one time where the audience seemed to extend their appreciation to a skater in the same hell raising way that they greeted and supported the Canadians.

After reading some of the posts I think people should calm down about Liza's dress. Yes it is abosolutely to revealing and not age appropriate , but it is really liza and her team's business. Personally I think the dress was designed to make Liza look less childish compared to all the other senior ladies, she is a child but she is competing at a senior level competition, and lookin like a junior will definitely not help her

I have to agree that I found the ladies' competition the least powerful of the event. Whatever we say about Chan's win, his skate was exceedingly dynamic, and Takahashi's was a masterpiece of performance art as well as of technique. Then there was Hernandez, not to mention Hanyu. The ice dance had several splendid programs, as did the pairs. Among the women, there were meltdowns and errors as well as several programs without much technical fullness. And of course Mao's absence cast a pall on the proceedings.

It's not just American women's skating that seems to be experiencing a drought. Worldwide, some of the best skaters are sitting out part or all of the season, and others are going through a slump. There are several promising youngsters, of course, but they aren't here yet. Bring on the ice dancers!

Stop critising Liza, I find her new dress appropriate. Liza is unique, she has the right to have a different style than the others skaters. To me, It's the beauty of the sport to have different type of people and style =)

Whoever found Liza's dress appropriate must have been jaded by the Las Vegas club scene. Oh wait, those girls are 21+.
This girl is only 14. Absolutely disgusting and pure trash.
Don't they deduct points for obscene costume?

Caro's costume seemed nice in concept. She looked long and lean rocking that costume, camel-toe and all. Don't like it as much as I thought I would.

Stop critising Liza, I find her new dress appropriate. Liza is unique, she has the right to have a different style than the others skaters. To me, It's the beauty of the sport to have different type of people and style =)

No one was criticizing Liza herself-you don't seem to be reading posts properly. It is THAT DRESS that is receiving the criticism and the adults around her who approved it. Liza is a star now, in the public eye and whatever she wears is going to be scrutinized if it's the least bit out there-which it is even if she WERE an adult.

Originally Posted by FlattFan

Finally saw the ladies LP on HD.

Whoever found Liza's dress appropriate must have been jaded by the Las Vegas club scene. Oh wait, those girls are 21+.
This girl is only 14. Absolutely disgusting and pure trash. Don't they deduct points for obscene costume?

Caro's costume seemed nice in concept. She looked long and lean rocking that costume, camel-toe and all. Don't like it as much as I thought I would.

I loved Carolina's costume. She's able to carry off that sort of thing. Her costumes are so often the most elegant or sophisticated ones in a competition, rivaled only by the ones worn by the Finnish ladies. Was it 2006 where Caro and the three Finns were simply dazzling? I think so.